Welcome to Rachel Skarsten UK: A fan website for the actress Rachel Skarsten. Rising to fame on Birds of Prey and then the breakout role of Tamsin on hit show Lost Girl - Now starring on the TV show Reign, Rachel has a long list of credits and achievements. Rachel Skarsten UK is the first fansite for Rachel that is not only social media based. I hope to bring you the latest news and gossip !

Rachel and the Nyantende Foundation are auctioning off Rachel’s bow she wore on Lost Girl for Bo’s birthday. All proceeds go to the Nyantende Foundation which helps kids in Greater Nyantende Area, Africa-

‘This bow was worn by Rachel Skarsten, aka Lost Girl’s Tamsin, in Season 5, Episode 5 “It’s Your Lucky Fae”. Tamsin wrapped herself in a bow as a birthday present to Bo… This is the perfect item for Valentine’s Day! ‘

Did you worry originally that because you were in a sci-fi show that you would be type cast and not get other roles such as Elizabeth?

I think there used to be a bit of a stigma around sci-fi, people who did sci-fi were put into some sort of category, just do sci-fi. I don’t think that exists anymore. First of all in conventions you have these huge mainstream movie stars coming to conventions now. People like Benedict Cumberbatch doing conventions now. I think there’s actually a lot of really great television and original programmes being produced by networks like Sci-fi. So I’m not so concerned about that, just really wanting to do a completely different character, and could I do that on a sci-fi show? That opportunity didn’t present itself on a sci-fi show, but it did right away with ‘Reign’.

Do you think studying English Literature and Classical History at University helped with your role on Reign?

I think studying English Literature helped me with life in general (laughs) I feel that it taught me how to think in a different way. It introduced me to so many authors and characters, plays and stories. I don’t know how much it specifically helped me for ‘Reign’ although I read so much that was written during that time period. So I had a greater knowledge because of that.

It’s a very specific type of language

Absolutely. It was exiting for me because it opened this opportunity for me to be able to buy 10 books about Elizabeth and read them for work and get very nerdy about it! (laughs) So I loved that.

I would just say, traditional eduction, going to university it isn’t for everyone but I think if it is for you I encourage everyone to get an education and it is such an invaluable tool.

I learnt more about life than studying when I went to university.

Oh! I’d say 75% of what I learnt in university was out of the classroom. How lucky I was to have that opportunity.

Do you think women’s roles in society have improved for the better or worse since the times of Elizabeth 1st?

I think that it’s hard to be a woman. Women still face challenges. I think they face the same amount of challenges as they did then, it’s just in a different capacity. Back then it was extremely hard to be a woman because you weren’t allowed the freedom to have the opinions that we have today. You couldn’t have a career. Part of the problem for Elizabeth was that no one thought she was legitimate, not only because of her parentage but because she was a woman. She couldn’t take the throne because how could a woman possibly be in that position of power? That must have been incredibly frustrating. They were so limited even by their clothing, that now women have the opportunity to have that power. We still have to battle, especially in film against getting paid less then men, but I do believe that it’s changing. Even ageism. Women face other challenges such as what if I want to be a mother and have a balance between being a mother and having a career and doing all of those things that I want to do in my life and how do I do all of that and do it successfully?

I think women are so extraordinary. They’re such extraordinary creatures. Even just getting the chance to talk to my grandparents generation and see what was easier for them or more difficult and then talking to my girlfriends now I feel like we’re quite resilient beasts.

Do you know if your film The Red Dress will be released in the UK?

No I do not know the answer. (laughs) It’s being released all over the place. I’ve seen it, but I just saw it at the directors house, we just watched it. I know that it aired in Malta. I think it aired in the United States. It should eventually find it’s way to the UK, but I’m not sure.

Finally do you have a message for you fans?

Yes! Honestly I am continually humbled by, and grateful for all the support. I feel entirely undeserving of it. It’s so overwhelming. Most of it truly is from ‘Lost Girl’ and that was one of the great gifts and legacies that ‘Lost Girl’ gave me, that I had never ever anticipated when I signed onto that job. Even you doing the site. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that you would do that for me. I’m so appreciative.

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END

That’s it folks!

Finally a big thank you on behalf of all the fans to Rachel and her team for letting me do this interview !

On Friday 6th November 2015 I got the chance to conduct a 15 minute phone interview with Rachel Skarsten. Here is the transcript for part one:

My voice is in bold and Rachel’s in normal

………

As the finale has now aired a lot of people have had mixed reactions to Tamsin’s storyline. I’m somewhere in between. I didn’t want her to die but I could see that when she did she was content and was ready. What is your take on Tamsin’s ending?

Well Michael Grassi who was the head writer on last season took me out to lunch before the season began, and asked me, (which I’ve never really been asked before) ‘What would you like for Tamsin?’ I said ‘Whatever it was I wanted it to be big’, so whether she went down in flames or found the love that she had so been searching for, I just didn’t want her to fade into the night and I felt that he gave me both, because that’s how Tamsin lives her life. Nothing is grey for Tamsin, big personality, things are very black and white for her, she wears her heart on her sleeve and I find that incredibly endearing about her so I really loved the fact that she found that love, that legacy that she desired. When we had a big get together to watch the finale and live tweeted, the creator Jay Firestone was there and there’s been lots of talk about doing a film and we were talking about that and I say ‘Well I’m dead so I guess I can’t do it’ and Jay said ‘Well if you notice that you see in the CG [Tamsin] flying up’ Originally I go into stardust but you can sort of see Tamsin so he said it wouldn’t have to be the end of her story, which I thought was cool, he had added that in afterwards. So who knows. So that’s the beauty of sci fi!

I died in the 3rd season but then I came back! (laughs) So one never knows.

Lost Girl finished filming over a year ago, but other than at conventions do you keep in touch with your cast mates?

I do actually. I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in a project where- usually you’ll take one person with you from each thing you do – and this show I’ve actually stayed in touch with everyone. I was talking to Rick Howland the other day, Zoie and I were texting. I probably see Paul and Kris the most when I’m in Toronto and when I’m in Los Angeles I see Anna a lot, and then Ksenia sort of flutters by back and forth between everywhere.

She’s sort of everywhere!

(Laughs) Yeah! I usually just keep in touch with her more via the phone. I mean, we’re all genuinely friends. Everyone keeps in touch with everyone too, so its this community now long after we’ve finished filming.

Are you looking forward to meeting your UK fans at the convention in January?

Oh absolutely! The fans in the UK I think.. (laughs) I hate to say are one of the best fans but it was such a surprise to me because it is a Canadian show, but Canadians are very reserved so I hardly ever get recognised in Canada or if I do they don’t say anything. The Americans are much more forward so I tend to get recognised a there quite a bit, but I expected those places to have a fan following of ‘Lost Girl’, I had no idea…The first time I went to London there was this overwhelming fan base of people who loved ‘Lost Girl’. I was actually just in London a month ago and it was funny because I was going to see a play with a guy who’s on ‘Reign’ now with me, and he got recognised for Reign and I didn’t. Which I expected because I wear a wig and I just started the show but then I got recognised for ‘Lost Girl’ 3 times in the space of 2 hours! And he said ‘What IS THIS SHOW?!’ (laughs) It’s Crazy! And I was like ‘I know!’

I didn’t start watching the show until about a year ago and I had never heard of it before. I can believe how big it is now I’m ‘In it!’

I know! It’s wild! We were on the tube and someone was like ‘Is that Rachel Skarsten!?’ (laughs) I’m like ‘Oh my gosh!’

I’d be too embarrassed to go up to somebody

I know some ‘celebrities’ don’t like it, I think they’re mental. I think it’s so lovely to meet people. That’s some of the reasons I love doing conventions because you really get the energy and get to hear what they thought of your performance and we get hold up in Canada working away and then you never know. You just send it out into the atmosphere. ‘Lost Girl’ is such a special show and impacted people’s lives and empowered them and their decisions, which is wonderful and I love that.

What initially attracted you to the role of Elizabeth 1st?

When I finished ‘Lost Girl’ I sat down with my agents and I said I want to do something that is completely different from ‘Lost Girl’ because I had become so comfortable with the character of Tamsin and taken a lot of my own personality and put it into her and I felt that I didn’t want to do another show and just be Tamsin again. Of course I take myself wherever I go but Reign presented different challenges in that it was a period piece, it was an actual historical character, and there was an accent. Just with those it is so different, and I also got quite used to playing a powerful woman on ‘Lost Girl’ and I didn’t want to go to playing someone who was wishy washy so Queen Elizabeth brought that (laughs)